A key aspect of being an authentic leader is knowing your own beliefs, behaviours, limitations and strengths in order to bring the best out of yourself and create value for your organisation. The challenge of great leaders is managing their authenticity – knowing themselves so well that they can choose which facet of themselves to reveal to whom and when.
This journey of self-discovery is an on-going process and takes a lot of time and commitment. By the same token, authentic leaders know they are a work in progress and they are accepting and open to their current state of development.
You could say that authentic leaders are walking billboards for their personal values and this honesty strikes a chord with the people that surround them. They are true to themselves which allows people to easily build trust in them.
Because of the willingness of authentic leaders to be open about their hopes, achievements, fears and vulnerabilities, their people aspire to be as open and honest about themselves.
The quest is to create an environment in which everyone feels able to be true to themselves. When this is established it creates the possibility for open, meaningful and trust based relationships which at the end of the day enable people to work more effectively together and to enjoy doing so.
That’s is not to say that there is total harmony. Inevitably differences will surface and difficulties will arise. The levels of trust established mean that people are able to express their differences and talk about their difficulties, get to the root cause of the problem and find a solution to it. They feel respected, accepted and understood and so are more committed to finding a way forward.
Authentic leadership brings win/win/win outcomes. The leaders feel they are making a difference and so feel fulfilled. Their people feel they are making a contribution and enjoy their work. The additional commitment and motivation that authentic leaders generate in their people are key to the sustainable success of the organisation. In this way authenticity means that everyone wins.
